1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to blade assemblies for wet shaving systems, and is directed more particularly to such blade assemblies as are pivotally movable upon razor handles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Safety razors conventionally comprise a guard member and a cap member between which, in use, a disposable razor blade is sandwiched, and a handle, the guard member, the cap member, and the handle being fixed relative to one another. The latter feature is present in the conventional one-piece and "three-piece" razors designed to take disposable double-edged blades. Safety razors have recently appeared on the market which comprise, instead of disposable razor blades, a disposable razor blade assembly, or head, having a guard member, one or more blades, and a cap member held rigidly together. The disposable razor blade assembly is rigidly attached to a handle so that the razor edges are at a fixed angular attitude relative to the handle. The blade assembly is replaced as a whole when the razor cutting edge (or edges) becomes dull.
Continuing efforts are being made to improve the shaving characteristics of such implements and/or to accommodate individual preferences. A factor in shaving efficiency and effectiveness is the orientation of the active components of the shaving system relative to the skin surface being shaved. The surface frequently has undulations or is in a relatively inaccessible or awkward area to reach and the shaving action is reduced in efficiency because the relationship of the active element to the skin surface being shaved significantly departs from the optimum value. Razors in which there is a fixed relationship between the shaving unit and the handle call for considerable dexterity on the part of the user and substantial changes in the disposition of the handle in order to maintain the shaving unit at its optimum attitude on the shaver's face, particularly when negotiating areas, such as the jaw line, where there are gross changes in facial contours.
Recent improvements have resulted in a shaving system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,016 in which a blade assembly is pivotally mounted on a handle such that the blade assembly is movable relative to the grip portion of the handle in a manner conformable or responsive to the surface of the skin being shaved. While such shaving system has been imminently successful from a commercial standpoint, there are shavers who prefer the stability of a blade assembly fixed to a handle, as opposed to a freely pivotable blade assembly.